ECCLESIASTES 12 SERIES - Verse 4

 Commentary of Charles Spurgeon, Adam Clarke & Matthew Henry

 

And the doors shall be shut in the streets, 

when the sound of the grinding is low, 

and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, 

and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;

Vs.4

 

And the doors shall be shut in the streets - The doors - the lips, which are the doors by which the mouth is closed.

Be shut in the streets - The cavities of the cheeks and jaws, through which the food may be said to travel before it is fitted by mastication or chewing to go down the aesophagus into the stomach. The doors

or lips are shut to hinder the food in chewing from dropping out; as the teeth, which prevented that before, are now lost.

The sound of the grinding is low - Little noise is now made in eating, because the teeth are either lost, or become so infirm as not to nsuffer their being pressed close together; and the mouth being kept shut to hinder the food from dropping out, the sound in eating is scarcely heard. 

 

He shall rise up at the voice of the bird - His sleep is not sound as it used to be; ...The chirping of the sparrow is sufficient to awake him.

All the daughters of music shall be brought low - The Voice, that wonderful instrument, almost endless in the strength and variety of its tones, becomes feeble and squeaking, and merriment and pleasure are no more.

 They have neither voice nor ear, can neither sing themselves nor take any pleasure, as Solomon had done in the days of his youth, in singing men, and singing women, and musical instruments.